Alliance
by SnowWhite0716
Summary: Sequel to "Sisterhood." Annabeth, Calypso, Thalia, Piper and Hazel have been through a lot in the past year. Now that their husbands are home from war, things couldn't be more right and perfect. But the husbands being home only brings new challenges and trials to overcome - on both sides. The five women bond closer than ever as they experience the effects of war and deployment.
1. Calypso - Whole

**Hey there everybody! I'm sorry this took a lot longer than expected – I've been going through some stuff and just working my tail off to get back to college. And I had serious writers block, which didn't help at all! But here it is! The first chapter to** _ **Alliance,**_ **the sequel to** _ **Sisterhood!**_

 **Disclaimer: Own the plot, nothing more.**

 _ **Calypso – Whole**_

"Hold still," Piper said as she grabbed the majority of Calypso's hair. "This might take a while."

Calypso nodded, closing her eyes. She could feel her head slumping forward as sleep plagued her. As excited – and, albeit, dreadfully nervous – as she was, at this moment Calypso wanted to do nothing more than go back to bed. She couldn't sleep a wink last night; the excitement was too much for her body to handle.

Calypso twisted the ring that was resting on her left hand, something she had come to do when she was nervous. Today was the big day; the day that she would become Mrs. Leo Valdez. Granted, it was supposed to happen much sooner than this, but the stress of Leo's recent deployment and her younger sister living with her had caused the date to be pushed back. They wanted to be married last April; now it was happening just barely a month after Leo came home from deployment.

But still, getting married to Leo at a much later point was better than not getting married at all.

"There," Piper said triumphantly. "All done! Leo is going to love it!" Calypso opened her eyes and looked in the mirror of the vanity she was sitting at. Piper had curled her chestnut hair in a simple up-do, leaving a few curled strands framing her face.

"It looks great!" she said happily. "I love it!"

Piper smiled, grabbing a few bobby pins and shoving them into her hair. "I did it for my own wedding."

"You did your own hair?" Calypso asked, surprised.

Piper nodded, her chocolate brown locks bouncing. "Mmhmm. I never had a mom growing up, so I improvised. It actually turned out okay. It looks much better on you, though."

Calypso snorted. "Oh, whatever!" Piper was so naturally beautiful, with smooth skin and kaleidoscope eyes – she could make sweat pants and a baggy shirt look great. Calypso had to suppress a chuckle as she imagined Piper strutting across a catwalk in the said outfit.

Annabeth crossed the room, her turquoise gown shuffling as she sat on a nearby chair. She looked a bit uncomfortable in such a fancy getup (Calypso had only ever seen her in jeans and t-shirts), but she insisted it was no big deal. Her naturally curly blonde hair was down and loose, resting on her shoulders. But there was a somewhat vague look in her normally bright grey eyes.

"Annabeth, are you alright?" Calypso asked in concern.

"Hmm?" Annabeth looked up at Calypso and smiled; Calypso noticed large bags under her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well lately."

"I don't think any of us have," Thalia said as she waltzed in, her short dark hair bouncing slightly. She took a seat next to Annabeth, straightening the skirt on her bridesmaid dress. "I don't know about you guys, but since Nico came home I've been having more trouble sleeping than I did when he was gone."

There was a small murmur as everyone agreed, nodding their heads. Calypso nodded along with them, although she didn't exactly feel the same. Since Leo came home she had never slept better in her entire life. It was such a reassurance to feel him beside her, knowing that he was safe and back home.

Hazel, who was sitting nearby holding her two month old daughter, spoke up. "I'm sleeping alright, but Frank…" she bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "He's been having a lot of trouble. He says it's nothing, but I can't help but worry. In fact, most of the time he's been taking care of Emily in the middle of the night because he's already awake."

Calypso looked at her cell phone. The butterflies that were already in her stomach intensified. "Well," she said shakily. "It's almost time…"

Thalia smiled as she stood up and walked over to her. "You excited?" Calypso nodded, forcing a smile onto her lips. Thalia took Calypso by the hand and led her over to the dressing room. "Come on – I'll help you put your dress on."

 _A few moments later…_

"Oh my goodness," Annabeth breathed softly.

"Calypso, you…you look…" Piper could no longer continue as unshed tears sparkled in her eyes.

"Stunning," Hazel finished. "You look absolutely stunning!"

Thalia smirked. "Leo Valdez, eat your heart out."

Calypso didn't recognize the girl in the mirror, and that thrilled her. Her makeup was done simply but elegantly; enough to bring out the pink of her lips and make her lashes longer. The dress had a bit of a vintage touch to it: it hugged her waist, flowing out to the floor. The sleeves came to her elbows and were sewed of beautiful lace. A few strands of her chestnut hair framed her face. She held a bouquet of Baby's Breath and Moonlace in her hands – the perfect touch.

"We better get going," Hazel said, smiling. "We don't want to keep your future husband waiting." Calypso nodded, smiling widely as they made their way to the ceremony. Calypso's younger sister, Zoe, stood by the double doors leading to the chapel of the church. Her eyes widened when she saw her sister. "Cali! You look amazing!" she exclaimed as the two embraced. Calypso hugged her gently, thanking her.

The ceremony began shortly afterward. Calypso clutched her bouquet with white knuckles, biting her lip nervously. The bridesmaids all gave Calypso a smile as they walked alongside the groomsmen. Percy, Nico, Frank and Jason were all wearing black suits with turquoise ties. Leo couldn't decide who would be the Best Man, so he picked all of them. Percy had an arm at Annabeth's waist, occasionally tugging her closer. Nico looked rather uncomfortable in a full suit and tie, but he smirked when he caught Thalia blushing. Frank simply walked alongside Hazel, holding her hand. Jason had a hand at the small of Piper's back, guiding her along gently.

They reached the altar all too soon, the ladies standing behind Leo and the man standing behind where Calypso would be. "You ready?" Zoe whispered intently. Calypso nodded, excitement eating at her insides. The large, double wooden doors opened at everyone stood up and turned their attention to her. Calypso could feel herself blushing. Every single member of the crowd broke into a wide smile, with the occasional gasp of awe. Calypso wanted to do nothing more than duck her blushing face and hide, but she forced herself to keep her chin up. Only one person mattered, and he was standing at the end of the room.

His normally wild and unruly curly hair was away from his face, so Calypso could see his eyes. Unlike the rest of the groomsmen, his suit was white with a turquoise bowtie. It was somewhat strange to see Leo all cleaned up without machine grease on his hands, but it suited him. Leo's eyes met hers, and he gasped silently. His face contorted with emotion as he brought a hand to his mouth in shock and awe. Tears sparkled in his eyes.

Calypso gave him a shy smile as she reached the altar, handing her bouquet to Zoe as she took both of Leo's hands in hers. The priest began to drone the usual words, but Calypso found herself not listening as she stared into Leo's eyes. He smiled softly, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. She took in every detail of Leo's face: his normally mischievous and teasing smile was replaced with a gentle smile of sincerity. His dark brown eyes were still shining with tears, and his black hair curled around his elf-like ears.

"I do," he said softly. Calypso wanted to squeal while jumping up and down, but she settled for squeezing Leo's hands gently.

"I do," Calypso said when her time came. Leo's smile widened and a single tear fell down his cheek. Leo slipped the ring onto her left ring finger. A warm, almost fuzzy feeling filled Calypso from the inside out and her vision blurred as she put a ring onto Leo's finger.

And then the priest uttered those words: "You may kiss the bride." Leo took Calypso's face into his warm hands and kissed her with a passion and force that made her knees buckle. She kissed back just as well, and could have continued kissing him for hours if Leo hadn't pulled away. Everyone was clapping and cheering; some were even crying.

"I love you, Calypso Valdez." He whispered before kissing her temple. Calypso threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Never in her life had she felt so whole and complete.


	2. Annabeth - Surprise

**Hey everyone! I'm so sorry this took me so long to update – I was working so hard to get back to school, and now I am at school! I just finished my first week, and I absolutely love it so far! I made it into one of the top choirs and we are doing a special concert with the orchestra in March! So I've been really busy. But I finally have time to sit down and update this story!**

 **Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed the first chapter! I'm so glad you all liked it :)**

 **Disclaimer: After all this time, I still don't own Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus.**

 _ **Annabeth – Surprise**_

 _Note: this takes place a few weeks after the wedding_

"Laurel, use your fork please." Annabeth said to her daughter one morning.

Laurel pouted, widening her big green eyes. "But _mom_!" she whined, "I like licking the syrup off of my fingers!" She proved her point by picking up a small piece of French toast smothered in syrup, popping it into her mouth and sucking the syrup off of her fingers.

"I know you do," Annabeth said patiently. "But it's not polite table manners."

Laurel glanced toward her twin brother, who was using a fork. "But we don't' have any guests over! Why do I still have to use table manners if we don't have any guests over?"

Percy laughed as he came out of the kitchen, holding his own plate of breakfast. "Sorry, kiddo – Mom's the word." He ruffled Laurel's blonde curls as he passed by her and sat next to Annabeth. "But one time when I was about your age, I did the exact same thing and –"

"Percy," Annabeth sighed, with a small smile on her face. "Don't encourage her."

Percy shot her one of the adorable half-smile, half-smirk things that she loved. Annabeth could feel her cheeks turn red. _It's crazy how that man still gives me butterflies,_ she thought to herself as she began eating her French toast. Miles and Laurel were now arguing about using a fork, while Percy watched in amusement.

Annabeth let out a huge yawn; sleep had been an absent friend of hers. It didn't make sense: she was eating right, exercising, and going to bed at a decent time. And yet, sleep refused to come to her. At first it seemed a bit logical; even with Percy beside her at night she still worried about his well-being. No matter how many times she tried to reassure herself that he was safe, there was a part of her that simply would not rest. She sighed, forcing a smile on her face; sleep would come sooner or later.

She had only taken the first bite of her French toast when her stomach lurched at the taste of cinnamon. Annabeth dropped her fork, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. She swallowed hard, forcing the small piece of food down. She reached for her glass of water and washed the taste of cinnamon out of her mouth. Annabeth leaned back in her seat, taking deep breaths. She normally loved the smell and taste of cinnamon; maybe she was coming down sick? She smiled at her family and talked with them as she waited for her stomach to settle. After a few minutes she hesitantly took another bite.

The results were disastrous. Her stomach cramped immediately as her mouth watered. _Don't throw up,_ she pleaded with her body. _Don't throw up…_ she was vaguely aware of Percy asking if she was alright before she bolted from her seat and ran to the nearest bathroom. She made it to the toilet just in time, gagging at the taste of vomit spewing out of her mouth.

A familiar pair of hands pulled her curls away from her face and started rubbing her shoulders. "You alright?" Percy asked worriedly.

Annabeth waited until she was sure there was nothing left in her stomach before flushing the toilet. Every muscle in her body ached as if she had run a full marathon. "It's probably just a stomach bug…" she said weakly, leaning against the bathroom wall.

Percy brushed her bangs out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. "I'll drop the kids off before I go to work. Don't even protest!" he said as Annabeth opened her mouth to argue. "You need to go back to bed. I'll call Jason and see if Piper can pick up the twins from school." He helped her up from the bathroom floor and gave her a gentle push towards the stairs. "Go back to bed, Wise Girl. I'll take care of things."

"Don't you have an important meeting this morning?" she asked Percy.

Percy nodded, running a hand through his thick black hair. "Yeah, but I'll make it on time. Don't worry about it; just focus on getting better."

Annabeth could only give Percy a weak nod as she made her way up the stairs. Percy had already started ushering the twins to get their jackets and shoes on. Miles looked up at his mother with worried eyes. "Mommy, are you going to die?" tears were perched on the edge of his lashes.

Annabeth smiled at him gently. "It's just a stomach bug, sweetheart. I'll be fine."

Soon afterward, Percy left with the twins and the house was silent. Annabeth lay down on the bed, the cool sheets feeling good against her skin. She drifted off for a little bit, but woke up afterwards to throw up again. She got back underneath the covers, thinking hard. As tired as she was, she tried to figure out what was going on. _That's so strange; I've never thrown up that suddenly. I'm tired all of the time, my mouth is dry, I'm getting more prone to headaches…_ she shrugged to herself as she snuggled underneath the covers. _It's probably a 24 hour flu or something._

The assumption rested easy on her mind until she suddenly realized one thing: _wait a minute. Throwing up, exhaustion, headaches…_ Her eyes widened as another thought came to her: _Wasn't I supposed to have my period a few days ago…?_

Suddenly she had more energy than what to do with. She scrambled out of bed, temporarily getting tangled in the sheets before making a run for the bathroom. Annabeth opened a cabinet and reached on the top shelf, her fingers searching for a small box. She pulled it out, her hands shaking as she tore the box open.

Annabeth did the usual procedure and waited impatiently for the results. Her mind wandered: she and Percy did talk about potentially having more kids when he got back, but this soon? It was almost _too_ fast. They still needed to get back in the swing of things, get emotionally/financially prepared for more kids and _then_ try to conceive. Of course Percy would be happy; he was ecstatic when she told him she was pregnant the first time. But Annabeth felt very much like she did during the first pregnancy: scared, a bit happy and in no ways prepared.

After a few minutes had passed she looked at the test. Two lines: positive. She sighed, resting a hand against her abdomen. Despite the fear in her heart, she smiled. She couldn't wait to tell Percy.

The front door downstairs opened. Annabeth glanced at a nearby clock in confusion; Percy should be at work by now. She placed the test back on the counter and walked out into the hallway. She leaned on the banister to get a better look. Percy was standing in the doorway, a dark look on his face. He kept running his hands through his hair, which was something he always did when he was frustrated or stressed. He shut the door behind him, letting out a deep sigh. Percy then looked up at noticed Annabeth standing there.

"What's wrong?" they asked each other at the same time.

Annabeth figured she might as well go first. "Well…I'm not exactly sick." Percy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I'm pregnant." She finished, smiling.

Percy didn't leap for joy or scream like he did last time. His face went pale as he leaned against the front door. "A-Are you sure?" he stuttered.

"Um, yeah," Annabeth said slowly as she descended the stairs. "I just took a test." Percy rubbed his forehead, looking upset. "Percy, what's the matter?" she asked as she approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you…upset?"

Percy shook his head. "No, not at all…it's just…" he met her gaze, his green eyes filled with worry. "That big meeting this morning was to fire me, along with a whole bunch of other guys. My boss said something about the company expanding and not needing me anymore. So, I'm out of a job, you're pregnant and we have two little ones to take care of." He shut his eyes tightly. "Annabeth, I don't know what we're going to do…"

Annabeth felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She wanted to lean on Percy's shoulder, have him nurse her worries; but for now the tables were turned. The person she loved more than anyone in the world was in pain and desperation. She pulled him into a hug, smoothing down his messy hair. "Percy, I still have my at-home architect job. That will be enough until you find work. We have food storage and enough in our savings account to hold us over for a while." She pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. "We'll find a way, Seaweed Brain. I promise you."

Percy swallowed hard and nodded, forcing a small smile. "How in the world did I ever get so lucky to get you?"

 **Again, I am SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! Please forgive me…I love you guys so much! Have a wonderful week! I'm here to talk if you need anything.**


End file.
